Sermon Tone Analysis

*THE CLOTHES WE WEAR*

*TEXT: Genesis 3:6-11*

 *INTRODUCTION: *Clothes for the most part have always made statements about who we are.

From the grunge look to the eloquent evening dress and Fortune 500 suit, the clothes we wear make a statement.

Kim Zoller of "Image Dynamics" suggests 55% of another person’s perception of you is based on how you look.

She says we must learn to dress for success.

Though we care about how we look and the image it gives, we know ultimately it is not the outward look that is important but the inward look at the heart.

*/1 Samuel 16:7/*/ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

/ Satan is a scoundrel.

1.  Satan tempted and deceived man to sin and become naked.

!!! 2.  Man is clothed in the garments of sin and unrighteousness, naked before God.

!!! 3.  Man is need of being clothed by God.

!!! 4.  God clothing Adam and Eve speaks of the clothing of salvation God offers.

!!! 5.  Like the Emperor we who are stupid and incompetent will never see that we are naked and in need of being clothed by the hand of God.

!!! 6.  */Genesis 3:21 Also/*/ for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

/

7.  God desires to clothe us and cover our nakedness.

But we must be willing to shed our garments of sinfulness and unrighteousness through confession and repentance.

!

I.          CLOTHED IN THE SACKCLOTH'S OF REPENTANCE

!! A.        Man's basic problem is his nakedness is revealed because he is sinful.

!!! 1.      Man's basic need is to be clothed with repentance resulting in salvation.

!!! 2.      Jesus came proclaiming that man needed to repent and be clothed in the garments of salvation . . .

"Repent for the kingdom of God is near!"

!! B.        Satan from the garden days to today continues to deceptively convince man that he is clothed when in reality he is sinfully naked before God.

*/1 Chronicles 21:1 Now/*/ Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

/

!!! 1.      David chose to sin and 70,000 men died because of it.

David begs to be clothed in the sackcloth's of repentance.

*/1 Chronicles 21:16‑17/*/ Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem.

So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered?

I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done?

Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued."

/

!!! 2.      Daniel living in captivity, now under the hands of the Persians who had conquered Babylon was reading in the book of Jeremiah and realized that the sin of his people had put them where they were.

*/Daniel 9:1‑5/*/ In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I,  Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,  "we have sinned  and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.

/

!! C.        When is the last time you were clothed in the sackcloth of repentance?

Broken over our failure to hear and do God's Word.

*/Psalms 34:18/*/ The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

/

!!! 1.      Are we deceived to think we are clothed in the linens of self‑righteousness when in reality we are naked?

The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that.

*/1 John 1:8‑10 If/*/ we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

/

!!! 2.      Oh to be clothed in the sackcloth's of repentance to take away the nakedness of our sin.

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II.

CLOTHED IN THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

!! A.        Satan desires to keep us in our naked sinfulness before God.

!!! 1.

But He cannot for God's desire is to clothe us in the robe of righteousness.

!!! 2.      Repentance brings about righteousness (see 1 John 1:9).

!!! 3.      When we are clothed in the sackcloth's of repentance God clothes us in the robe of righteousness.

!! B.        Oh but the scoundrel Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10) of those who are clothed in Christ.

!!! 1.

He comes to say we are not fit to wear such righteous robes.

*/Zechariah 3:1‑4 Then/*/ he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan!

The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!

Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him."

And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."/

!! C.        The prodigal son clothed himself in his self‑righteousness as he squandered his inheritance away on wasteful living that left him naked before God. 

!!! 1.

But praise be to God he came to his senses one day when that child like voice said, "You are naked and in need of your Father."

He travels home hoping to find forgiveness and the chance to be a slave.

*/Luke 15:18‑24/*

!!! 2.      Did you notice the Father called to robe His son in the "best" robe.

!!!! a)      No second rate robe was good enough for His son.

!!! 3.      Did you notice what the Father said to do with the robe . . .

"put it on him!" 

!!!! a)      Where had the son been?

In the pigpen!

He was smelly, and filthy.

He didn't look like a son or smell like a son . . .

but he was the Father's son and the Father said, "Put the robe on him!" 

!!!! b)      The robe covered all the filth and sin!

The son was robed in right standing with his Father.

*/Isaiah 61:10/*/ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,..../

!! D.        Are you in need of being clothed so as to hide your nakedness?

!!! 1.      Begin the journey home in the sackcloth's of repentance and the Father will run to you to clothe and cover you in His robe of righteousness through Christ Jesus our Lord.

!

III.

CLOTHED IN THE ARMOR OF REFLECTION

!! A.        Having been clothed in the robe of righteousness through the sackcloth of repentance we stand ready to be clothed in the armor of God to reflect the One we now live for.

!! B.

Here again Satan battles with us to keep us naked in thinking our own clothing is fine.

!!!! a)      But we come to be clothed in the full armor God.

*/Ephesians 6:11-13 Put/*/ on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.

/

!!!! b)      Reflect the truth of God that holds our lives together.

!!!! c)      Reflect the righteousness of God in our hearts.

!!!! d)      Reflect the gospel of peace as we walk in this life.

!!!! e)      Reflect the faith in God that shields us from the attacks of Satan.

!!!! f)       Reflect the salvation of God through our thoughts and actions.

!!!! g)      Reflect the Word of God and use it to defend ourselves.

!! C.        We must never put on the armor of man for then we will surely be defeated.

!!! 1.      David refused to wear the armor of Saul to fight Goliath and went in the full armor of God and won the victory!

*/Romans 13:12‑14/*/ The night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

/

*CONCLUSION:  *Satan would love to parade us naked before the world and make us think we are clothed.